[Emergency house calls in a Vienna medical practice]

Daytime emergency visits (7 a.m.-8 p.m.) requested in a general practice on the outskirts of Vienna were investigated between 1985 and 1992. Altogether 56 such calls were registered, on average 7.1 per year, with a decreasing tendency over the investigated period. The average visit started 9 minutes after demand and lasted for 17 minutes. An objective assessment after the visits revealed 35.7% life-threatening indications, 57.1% absolute, 3.6% relative and 3.6% trivial indications. Only 34% of all patients were referred to hospital for inpatient treatment. This form of general practitioner home visiting based on telephone assessment of urgency by the doctor personally keeps calls to a minimum, saves money and is efficient.